TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — On Sunday, the 2-8 New York Giants will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coming out of their bye week looking for a chance to right the ship.
After starting hot with a 3-1 record that included big wins against NFC juggernauts like Detroit and Philadelphia, Tampa Bay watched their stranglehold over the NFC South division vanish with heartbreaking losses to Atlanta (twice!), Kansas City, and San Francisco.
Now, sitting at 4-6 on the season, Tampa Bay is healthier than they have been since opening day and facing down a schedule that features only one team with a winning record (the 7-3 Los Angeles Chargers) in the second half of the season.
The Bucs’ biggest challenge this season, outside of injuries, has been the play of the defense under Head Coach Todd Bowles.
Communication on defense has been a lingering issue, according to Bowles, but heading into week 12 the Bucs are expecting the return of starting cornerback Jamel Dean as well as safety Mike Edwards, who the team claimed off waivers last week. Edwards returns to a secondary where he helped win Tampa Bay a Super Bowl during the 2020 season.
The Bucs are hoping the return of Dean and Edwards, who was known for his play-making ability in the back end while playing in Tampa Bay, gives the defense a boost after a rough stretch against top-end opponents.
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- Bucs look to slow down Raiders’ star edge rusher Maxx Crosby
- Bucs with Bowles on the plays that mattered in critical overtime win over Panthers
- McLaughlin’s field goal in OT helps Bucs beat Panthers 26-23, move into 1st-place tie in NFC South
Another thing the team hopes will lead to more success on defense is the steep drop in quality of teams on the opposing sideline.
First up are the Giants, who are starting fan favorite Tommy DeVito after benching 27-year-old Daniel Jones, who struggled throughout the season.
“Obviously not playing the way any of us want to play, and that’s on all of us,” Daboll said. “But felt like this was a decision that we needed to make here to try to spark things, change things up and we went with Tommy again.”
The New Jersey product, nicknamed “Tommy Cutlets,” went 3-3 as a rookie free agent starter after injuries to the quarterback position in New York last season forced Daboll’s hand.
For the Bucs, the opportunity to patch the sinking ship that has been the defense won’t get much better than against the Giants, who are 26th in the league in passing yards and have scored the fewest amount of touchdowns in the league this year with 16.
If Tampa Bay can’t contain “Tommy Cutlets” and the New York offense, then the seat is about to get very hot for Bowles.
